


The Happiest Time

by amonkeysue



Series: Clintasha Advent 2020 [2]
Category: Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics), Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Clintasha Advent 2020, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Feels, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28103286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amonkeysue/pseuds/amonkeysue
Summary: A little domestic moment on Christmas Eve for Clint, Natasha, and Katie.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov
Series: Clintasha Advent 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071044
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24





	The Happiest Time

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to fit something fluffy in the time we know Clint and Natasha had with Katie between the two wars (especially since I've got some angsty-ish ideas for Katie in mind, oops), and something with a side of Christmas felt perfect for the Children day of this year's Clintasha Advent!
> 
> Russian translation (courtesy of [this tumblr post](https://ili-here.tumblr.com/post/161660147171/russian-names-pet-names) as I was looking up potential options for endearments from a parent to child): счастье моё (my happiness)

“Okay,” Clint hummed to himself as he walked out of the bedroom to the living room while absentmindedly bouncing Katie on his hip, “once Nat’s back with your last-minute extra present to match Gerry I think we’ll have everything for you.” He grinned at Katie. “You excited for your first Christmas?”

She smiled back and made a happy sound.

Clint settled onto the couch while shifting Katie around to sit on his lap facing the Christmas tree.

In the years before, Clint or Natasha hadn’t really bothered with much in way of Christmas decorations, what with not necessarily knowing they were even going to be able to spend Christmas together until the last minute. Life as a superhero with personal spy interests on the side didn’t exactly lend itself to a consistent work schedule with holidays off, and that was before the recent war.

With Katie around though, it had felt right to try and give her as perfect an experience as possible. They had the time and hope to relax, and life was too short not to try and make it the best.

She cooed at the Christmas tree and reached out for it, her eyes bright as she watched the slow transition of the lights between a yellow-white to a variety of colors. Having a baby transfixed with the tree was handy, and Clint laughed before having to look away from the tree as his gaze fell upon a little handsewn purple giraffe ornament towards the top.

Kate had picked it up from an arts and crafts fair in Nairobi while passing through en route to helping to handle one of the first skirmishes of the war and given it to Clint as a belated birthday gift, continuing her running gag of gifting him things that only reminded her of him thanks to being purple.

He hugged Katie closer and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her head.

Another significant event without Kate wasn’t going to stop hurting anytime soon.

Clint glanced up towards the door at the sound of a key in the lock and smiled as Natasha walked in. “Is it just as cute as Jess promised?”

“We’ll definitely need to get a picture with both of them tomorrow,” she said as she walked over with a smile of her own that only widened as Katie angled towards her with both arms outstretched.

“Mamama,” she babbled while suddenly lunging forward, earning a chuckle from Clint as he steadied her.

“I hear you, счастье моё,” Natasha amusedly said as she came over and picked Katie up after setting the gift bag she had in hand on the cushion by Clint. “You sound as though you had a good nap.”

“Out like a light and woke up easy,” Clint confirmed as Katie babbled something nonsensical.

Natasha pulled Katie closer to press a solid kiss to her cheek. “Thank you for making our lives easier.” She stepped around Clint to settle on his other side, leaning in against his side while letting Katie sit in her lap. “Do you want to see it on her or wait?”

Clint leaned his head against hers. “Mmm, what’s the risk of her randomly spitting up on it?”

“There’s a hat and a onesie, but we could at least show you the hat.”

He pulled the gift bag onto his lap and pulled a little Santa hat out with a laugh. “Aww, that is pretty cute.” He carefully maneuvered it onto Katie’s head, pushing the long end’s pom-pom out of the way as she curiously reached for it. “Sorry Jess, our baby is definitely the cutest.”

Natasha couldn’t help but beam at Katie. “She is.”

Katie got a hold of the front of the hat and yanked it off her head before pulling the pom-pom end towards her mouth almost faster than Clint could yelp.

“Nope, sorry,” he firmly said while easing the hat out of her grip with Natasha’s help, “you’re not even going to like that, I promise.”

Katie intensely furrowed her brow as she frowned, quickly distracted by Natasha lightly patting her back.

“It is probably time for some more food.”

Clint nodded and pushed himself off the couch. “One sec. Anything for you too?”

“I wouldn’t mind some hot chocolate.”

“On it.”

After a moment Natasha set Katie down on the floor to let her scootch around with content babbling, watching her with a small smile.

A few years earlier and she never would have seriously entertained motherhood, and yet the chance to add Katie to their family had been such an easy choice with Clint. She was a bright spot of hope and a constant light in their lives, cliché as it sounded.  
Natasha knew these moments of calm domesticity wouldn’t last forever, but she’d take it while they could. Whatever else life inevitably had in store for them, they would take a well-deserved rest and give Katie something stable.

She shot to her feet to pick Katie back up as she beelined for the tree, setting her several feet back before sitting between Katie and the tree.

The tree would clearly win that encounter.

“In the mood for marshmallows?” Clint called from the kitchen.

“A few,” Natasha called back without looking away from Katie as she crawled towards her.

“Mamamama.”

The statement would always make her heart melt. “Right here,” Natasha murmured while holding her arms out to Katie.

She eagerly crawled over and practically collapsed against Natasha. “Mama!”

“I love you too,” Natasha whispered while pulling her into a hug.

“Mac and ch- oh.” Clint had peeked into the room and stopped as he noticed Natasha and Katie, waiting for Natasha to nod at him before continuing. “Mac and cheese is ready for her when you are.”

She stood with Katie. “Let’s get you some dinner and then show your Dad the Charlie Brown special, huh?”

“Sounds like a perfect evening with my girls,” Clint beamed.


End file.
